After the mega hit that was Super Mario Bros. the world eagerly awaited a sequel. I remember as a kid one of my friends picked up Mario 2 when I didn’t even know it has been released. I went over to his house, and remember being genuinely confused. This game didn’t look anything like the original, and it certainly didn’t play like it. It wasn’t until years that I later learned why. Apparently Nintendo thought Super Mario Bros. 2 was too difficult for gamers outside of Japan, and so they re-skinned a previously released title called Doki Doki Panic and released it. Despite the stark differences in gameplay I quickly learned to love it and this release will always hold a special place in my heart.
In order to bridge the story gap between this radical departure and the original game Nintendo decided to make Super Mario Bros. 2 take place in an alternate dream world. King koopa is nowhere to be seen, and the main adversary here is Wart. Also gone are koopa troopas and goombas which have been replaced by a host of really abstract enemies. Like Super Mario Bros. this is a side scrolling platform title. You begin playing by selecting from one of four characters which include Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad. Each one handles a little differently from one another; Mario is the most well rounded of the bunch while Luigi can jump high but slips as he runs, the princess can hover in the air, and Toad is the fastest but has the shortest jump.
The first major difference is that you no longer destroy enemies by jumping on their head. Landing on them does nothing and you can even ride along. By pressing the B button your character will pick up and throw them, but they are not defeated by being tossed alone. They must collide with another enemy, or you could always throw them off a cliff. The game makes use of light puzzles wherein you can actually access new areas by placing enemies strategically and using the increased leverage to jump higher. Another new ability each character has is that by holding down on the directional pad they can charge up a jump which allows them to get higher. The game frequently requires this ability so it’s best to get used to it right away. It does slow down the pacing unfortunately. It’s never required for defeating foes though and is simply relegated to navigating some of the environments. It’s a decent mechanic but kind of boring as a gimmick.
Super Mario Bros. 2 is a bit lacking in power-ups. The stages are littered with cherries and collecting a certain number sends down a super star which once again grants temporary invincibility. Super mushrooms also return, but this game uses hearts as a health bar and this adds another notch to it. Enemies also drop hearts which restore your character’s life. Also littered throughout each stage are weeds that you can pull up from the ground. Frequently these are turnips that can be thrown at enemies, but every once in a while pulling a weed up will reveal a potion. Throwing this creates a door that, once gone through, takes you to an alternate shadow version of the level that is only one screen big. Any weeds pulled result in coins (which are now used for an end of the stage slot machine game), and super mushrooms appear in specific places.
The level design is significantly different from that of the original game. It’s more focused on exploration here, and is much more diverse because of it. In some areas you are required to work through the level vertically which is a nice change of pace. Other sections force you to collect and carry a key to a locked door while being chased by a flying mask guardian. It’s pretty interesting, and the level design is significantly more complex than the original Super Mario Bros. The two games are very different however as we now know because they didn’t belong to the same franchise. With it’s stage mechanics, character abilities, and variety this game has more to offer than most 8-bit platformers. Unfortunately it’s just not quite as focused as the other Mario titles. In my opinion this is one of the weaker titles in the franchise because of this.
This is a pretty good looking game by NES standards. The levels have a nice amount of visual variety, and everything is very colorful. The characters are instantly recognizable, and the abstract designs for the monsters is really unique. Moving sprites tend to have weird soft outlines around them which is a bit of a turn-off. It makes them blend into the environments more which can be tricky. Unfortunately this game does suffer from some flicker, but in this case it rarely causes any issues with the gameplay. Slowdown is also an issue; when too many enemies are on-screen the game slows down significantly, but it isn’t as bad as in many other titles on the system. The soundtrack is very different from in any other Mario title. It’s missing that signature style, but on its own merit the music is very competent and memorable.
I feel a little bad for Super Mario Bros. 2. It wasn’t the revolution that both the original and part 3 were, and of the original trilogy it’s the most forgettable. I really don’t remember a lot of hype surrounding this release. With that said it’s still enjoyable, and I still find myself returning to it every now and then. I think Nintendo made the right choice of shoehorning Mario and friends into this game because it’s better than the original Japanese sequel. To enjoy this one you basically have to throw out everything you know and love about Mario because almost none of that is here. This is Doki Doki Panic, and it’s a great game in it’s own right. It just isn’t directly comparable to the Super Mario Bros. series. Here’s to hoping the villain Wart one day makes a triumphant return
